


Hug

by AussieWriter1



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: Can be taken platonically, F/M, Gen, or romantically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 16:11:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieWriter1/pseuds/AussieWriter1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their pursuit of a Blacklister takes a bad turn, Liz finds comfort from a very unexpected source.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hug

**Author's Note:**

> One-shot! Someone on the blacklist tumblr tag mentioned wanting a hug (lightthenightconsumingfire), and when I read that, this one-shot was born! I hope you like it :)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with 'The Blacklist' in any way, shape, or form. I do not own any of the characters in this story.

“I couldn’t save them. I couldn’t save any of them!”

“It’s alright, Lizzie.”

Liz felt her jaw drop as she stared at the criminal standing in front of her. 

“Alright? I knew that plane was coming down, I knew who was planning it. I should have stopped it! But I couldn’t and I just-“

Liz cut herself off as she felt the pain creeping up her throat, felt the tears spring to her eyes and threaten to fall. She swallowed desperately; she wouldn’t allow herself to cry. Not in front of him.

They were currently standing in Liz’s office, situated in the Post Office. Red had followed her in there after they had received the news of the plane crash. The other members of their small team had simply continued standing there, too shocked to move it seemed. They had been counting on Simon Harris to strike tomorrow, to bring down the 138 United Airways flight to Sydney. However, things never seem to go to plan, especially when dealing with mastermind assassins.

Harris’ target, a rich businesswoman from New Orleans, had rescheduled her flight to today, unknown to the FBI. Unfortunately, it meant that all of their carefully laid out plans equaled to naught. The woman was now dead, along with countless others that had innocently boarded that doomed plane. They still had no idea how Harris had brought down the plan, and now he was nowhere to be found.

The profiler felt her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. It was her job to find out about these attacks; her job to stop them and capture those responsible. But now she had nothing except the weight of more souls on her conscience. The pain burned her inside, while the guilt drowned her.

Not wanting to face this pain any longer, Liz moved to exit the office. Yet it seemed her senses were still being blocked by the pain and anger she felt. As she went to step around Red, her toes stuck into the ground and she stumbled. Alert as ever, Red quickly stooped to catch Liz before she hit the ground.

Helping her to straighten, Red held tight to Liz’s arms. Ignoring the urge to pull free of his grasp and continue running, Liz forced herself to meet his perpetual gaze. The profound amount of sorrow and sympathy held within Red’s deep green eyes shocked her. She had expected him to simply brush off the deaths of the innocent victims like he so often did. He was full of surprises it seemed.

As Red held her close, time seemed to stand still. They could have been staring into each other’s eyes for only a few seconds or perhaps several days, yet neither of them moved. They were held in a trance, one that made them forget about the world turning around them. One that drowned out the sorrow and pain.

As soon as it began, however, the spell was broken. Red slowly pulled Liz closer towards him. What surprised Liz most however, was how she simply accepted his embrace. 

While Red’s arms encompassed her in a comforting hug, Liz felt her eyes shut, her body seeming to shut down. She finally let the tears fall, slipping down her cheeks in slow waves.

They stood in that calming position for a few moments – Liz with her hands curled into fists on Red’s chest, whilst Red rubbed soothing circles into her back. After a few moments of calm for Liz and content for Red, the criminal and the profiler pulled back. Staring into his eyes once again, Liz noted the gentle warmth that Red’s orbs possessed. 

Suddenly remembering herself, Liz pulled away completely. Stunned that she had ever allowed herself to be comforted in such a way, by him no less, Liz quickly turned and fled from the small room. She could feel his eyes burning into her back as she moved quickly, desperately needing to free herself from this suffocating state.

As she burst into the parking lot of the Post Office, Liz felt herself finally being able to breathe. She had no idea what had possessed either of them to allow such a thing to occur. Liz was more shocked that the criminal himself would instigate it.

Feeling confused and hopeless, Liz stared unseeing at the elevator from which she had just exited. She could feel a foreign emotion rising in her chest, one that she couldn’t bring herself to dissect right now.

Unknown to the profiler, Red was standing a few meters above her, staring at the elevator shaft into which Liz had just disappeared. She would never know the pained expression that currently occupied his features. She would never know the swirling hurricane of conflicting thoughts and emotions quickly filling his brilliant mind. 

But one day, he promised himself, she would know the care and love he held in his rusty, old heart. The care and love that he reserved only for her.

**Author's Note:**

> There you go :) Hope you liked it!


End file.
